Evangelion: When the ship hits the fan

Chapter 1: The selfie

The LCL drains, amber fluid depleting from the large glass tank within which she's suspended. Once empty it opens and she steps out, reaching for the towel sitting on the floor next to a neatly folded school uniform and her plugsuit. While she dries her thick, short-cut hair she thinks about whether she should put on the school uniform or the plugsuit. It's technically proper to put on the suit, but it was only a few days since the last Angel attacked, there shouldn't be another for at least a week. She nods to herself.

This far underground it's warm and cozy, so Rei doesn't immediately get dressed, she prefers to do so during the elevator ride up. She knows there's a camera there, but it doesn't concern her. She starts the self-cleaning routine on a console next to the tank so the pipes don't clog: Rei knows they won't, LCL doesn't work like that with inanimate matter, but the technicians get antsy if she doesn't. Then she gathers her things and heads towards a single red light blinking a few feet above head height, the single definite point in the otherwise dark interior of the chamber, indicating where the elevator entrance is.

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The silence in the elevator is defeaning. Asuka stands in front of the doors, her back firmly turned to everything inside it, including Mari. She stands leaning against a wall in as relaxed a stance as she can manage, just waiting out the ride in thin-lipped silence. She sends a subtle glare Asuka's way but says nothing.

Then the doors open and Asuka moves to stomp out and free herself from Mari's presence. but stops promptly at who's standing on the other side. "Hmpf," Asuka says, staring into Rei's blood-red albino eyes, "For being the Commander's pet, you sure seem to have a lot of free time on your hands."

"You're not helping anyone," Rei replies, monotone as usual, her voice carrying only the faintest hint of irritation which is a feat by itself, "You act like a child. Even Shinji is more mature than you."

"Yes, clearly Wonder Child has me beat in every category!" Asuka growls with disgust and brushes past Rei, dissapearing around a corner. Rei looks after her for a moment, and then steps into the elevator where Mari stands waiting and the ride continues up. She takes Rei's hand in her own, saying "You shouldn't engage her, sweetheart. You saw, it only makes her more mad." Rei blinks and thoughtfully looks aside, "But if I do nothing, she will just grow more bitter."

"Forget about her!" Mari says with a smile and throws her arms around Rei, "She can hate me all she want. I might even have cared if I didn't have your around." Mari separates herself enough to look into Rei's eyes, "Not to beat a dead horse, but I hope you know how precious you are to me, Rei." The blue-haired girl opposite Mari blinks, and a small smile breaks out on her lips, "It is nice to hear you say that. Not because I forget, but it feels good."

Mari smiles as well and strokes Rei's arm affectionately, "Well I could say it again. " The elevator comes to a halt and opens into a featureless metal corridor. "I was gonna' catch a cup of coffe before I leave for school. Wanna come?"

Rei nods, and the two are off to the left. "You've been doing synch tests?" she says as they walk. Mari nods, "Yeah, just a short one, you know how anxious they are the days after Angel attacks. Considering how hard the last one crumped Unit-01 I can't blame 'em."

They take a right and enter a small café, dimly lit and whose far wall is taken up entirely by a window. Below them you can see the GeoFront, the floodligt illuminating the NERV pyramid, and the yellow lines running up and down the walls of the giant cavern like lights on a christmas tree. "Oh, that reminds me!" Mari bursts suddenly, "I need you to volunteer for a thing, Rei."

Rei raises an eyebrow in an absolutely dazzling display of suspicion, "What for?"

"Well," Mari fishes her phone up from her bra as she speaks, "I want to show you off to a friend of mine. Across the pond, y'know, in England. C'mere," she says and tugs gently on Rei's arm. When Rei doesn't budge Mari's shoulder slump and she looks at Rei despondently, "Come on, Rei. They wanna' see my new girlfriend, and you're nowhere to be found on social media. It's just a selfie with me."

"Selfie?"

Mari looks at Rei over the rim of her glasses, "...You don't know what that is?"

"Should I?" she replies.

"A photo portrait, you could call it, it's not a big deal. I just want to show them what you look like." She tilts her head sideways a little, her tone sincere, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Rei blinks, "Well, no, I just don't see the point." She looks down for a moment, thinking. When she looks up again she says, "But, if it makes you happy then sure, I can volunteer." She smiles and Mari shines up, and practically hops up next to Rei to raises her phone up. A few pictures later and she lowers the phone to inspect her handiwork. Rei manages to put on a little smile in one of them, so that will probably have to do. "Y'know," Mari says while looking the pictures over, "You don't have to do shit just because it makes me happy, I havn't taken your free will from you."

"Mari," Rei says, "You know I think that actions speak much louder than words. If there is something I can do something that makes you happy..." She takes one of Mari's hands, holding it close to her chest, smiling, "Then I will always try."

The End.